Faison (R-Cosby) – House Votes To Protect Tennessee Values In Tennessee Schools

Lawmakers say no to allowing federal standards in state education system

State Representative Jeremy Faison (R-Cosby) co-sponsored legislation that would protect education in the State of Tennessee. This week, House lawmakers voted overwhelmingly to pass legislation protecting Tennessee educational values in schools across the state.

The bill, which passed the House 81-9 and with strong bipartisan support, is the first piece of legislation passed this year to address issues raised with Common Core and student data collection privacy concerns.

A number of other bills relating to the same subject are currently making their way through the House Committee process.

As passed, House Bill 1549 specifies that Tennessee is fully in charge of creating its own educational standards and ensures that none will be imposed on the state by the federal government in the future. The bill also requires that any data collected from the use of testing under educational standards can only be used for the sole purpose of tracking the academic progress and needs of students. In addition, any data collected by the federal government must be transparent and shared in an environment that is readily available for parents to view.

Heralded by proponents as a bill to correct fundamental problems with Common Core, supporters agree this legislation will go a long way in effectuating change in the educational initiative that has drawn the ire of parents, teachers, school administrators, and advocacy groups nationwide over the last several months.

Having already passed the Senate, the bill now travels to the desk of Governor Haslam to be signed into law.

Additionally, another piece of legislation, House Bill 1129, was amended by lawmakers to delay final implementation of Common Core as well as the Partnership for Assessment of Readiness for College and Careers (PARCC) testing.

“Many of my Constituents have major concerns about Common Core, especially the PARCC assessment. This bill that I have Co-Sponsored has brought light to many of the concerns.” said Representative Jeremy Faison.

This bill now heads to the Senate for further action.